At last, the 2020 Summer Olympics are happening, set to take place in Tokyo beginning on July 23, and we can’t wait to watch all of our favorite competitions. We’ve put together a list of athletes to look out for in this year’s Summer Olympics.
Simone Biles
Gymnastics
Biles is looking to continue her Olympic dominance this year. She has the opportunity to be the first woman to win back-to-back all around gymnastics titles since 1968. Biles could also become the first U.S. woman in any sport to win five gold medals at a single Olympic games.
Katie Ledecky
Freestyle Swimming
Ledecky is another athlete to watch, as the women’s world record holder in 400-, 800-, and 1,500-meter freestyle swimming attempts to win five gold medals. Ledecky won her first gold medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London at the age of 15. She followed this with four gold medals in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Like Biles, Ledecky is attempting to be the first female U.S. athlete to win five gold medals in the Olympics.
John John Florence
Surfing
Florence is one of the few U.S. surfers competing in this year’s Olympics. As the sport makes its Olympic debut, Florence is hoping for success after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in 2019. The 28-year old Hawaiian native beat out surf legend Kelly Slater to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.
Megan Rapinoe
Soccer
U.S. Women’s soccer star, Rapinoe is preparing to win her second Olympic gold medal with the U.S. Rapinoe was arguably the most important member of the U.S. team who won the Women’s World Cup in 2019. Rapinoe and the team are looking for a rebound after losing in the quarterfinal round in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
Serena Williams
Tennis
Four-time Olympic gold medalist Williams will enter the 2021 Summer Olympics with the goal of passing her sister, Venus Williams for most Olympic titles won. Williams is also in pursuit of leading the world in Grand Slam titles. While she has won 23, she needs one more to tie the current record.
Donavan Brazie
Running
Fresh off a gold medal in the 2019 Track and Field world championship, Brazier has emerged as the 800-meter gold medal favorite in the Tokyo Olympics. Brazier is the first American to win a world title for the 800-meter event.
Brady Ellison
Archery
Ellison has been riding high as the number-one ranked archer in the world in 2019. The three-time Olympic medalist’s goal this year is to finally capture a gold medal. The last time an American won an Olympic gold in archery was in 1996.
More from Better:
- Surfing Is More Popular Than Ever: And Now, California’s State Sport Is Going to the Olympics
- 3 Ways to Try Out Foil Surfing: Summer’s Hottest Trend on the Water
- A Walk Down Memory Lane: Remembering the Bay Area’s Greatest Olympians
Ian Larned is an intern at Marin Magazine. Born and raised in San Francisco, he attended Marin Academy in San Rafael and is currently a rising Junior at Colorado College majoring in Economics, Business and Society with a minor in Journalism. He enjoys playing sports or doing anything outdoors.
